We are delighted to welcome author R. Jerome Brooks to Omnimystery News today.
Brooks's seventh novel — but the first written using a pen name — is First Kill Wonder (Prodigy Gold Books; June 2016 trade paperback and ebook formats) and we recently had the chance to catch up with him to talk more about the book.
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Omnimystery News: First Kill Wonder's subtitle is "A Naim Butler Romance Suspense". Tell us a little more about Naim Butler that readers may not learn from the book.
Photo provided courtesy of
R. Jerome Brooks
R. Jerome Brooks: Funny story, a pre-publication reviewer e-mailed my publicist asking how to pronounce Naim's name. I knew how to say it, as I named him after a friend that demonstrated some of the real-life characteristics as the fictional, Naim. A Google search netted a few sites that showed the pronunciation of names, and I e-mailed the link to the reviewer, but I also learned that Naim has a French origin, adding another layer to developing Naim. I had already sent him from Chicago to Tulane University in New Orleans, a city cloaked in French tradition. But, now, I had more ammunition to develop him into a man that enjoys French cuisine, his home is laced in French contemporary interior design, and he has mastered the art of the French kiss.
OMN: Why did you opt for a pen name for this book?
RJB: Under my real name I independently published six novels, garnering the attention to get a publishing deal. From book-to-book my writing advanced and my exposure to trade craft and events put on by Mystery Writers of America (which I am a member of the NY Chapter), ThrillerFest, Bouchercon, and Writer's Digest forced me to write what I truly liked for a broader audience. Writing under the moniker, R. Jerome Brooks, is a testament to my dedication to provide readers with tales that take them away and introduce them to some of America's problems in an entertaining format.
OMN: Suppose Naim Butler were to interview you. What would his opening question be?
RJB: I'm sure Naim would love to pepper me with questions about his life, which I have total control over, by the way. I think that his opening question would go something like this: "What were you thinking by making me a criminal sentencing mitigation specialist with a best friend whose a federal prosecutor, for crying out loud?"
I started First Kill Wonder at a time when America was bogged down by police officers being arrested for allegedly assaulting and killing unarmed men and women, causing riots and an us (civilians) versus them (law enforcement) polarized America. Naim, represents that the troubled men often targeted by police have grand potential to be effective American denizen, if that potential is exposed. I put Naim in a position to demonstrate self-redemption. Giving him a best friend that's a prosecutor posits that as a society we can work in tandem on opposite sides for a common goal: Peace. Civilians have a duty to live crime free, and law enforcement should address those that do not. Naim is a mitigation specialist because some people have upbringings, that, if understood to correct bad behaviors could avoid committing crime, and the "lock 'em up and throw away the key" mantra is not a one-size fits all cure; hence, the sitting Congress' attempt to drastically reform criminal justice with organizations like FAMM (Families Against Mandatory Minimums).
OMN: You make some interesting legal arguments. Do you have a law background?
RJB: Not beyond being a fan of Matlock and Law & Order. I have always played with the idea of becoming a lawyer, though. I loved going to the law schools at Harvard University and University of Pennsylvania to research the legal theories and positions that I cover in First Kill Wonder.
OMN: How would you tweet a summary of First Kill Wonder?
RJB: Now, this is the biggest mystery since Twitter's launch, how to effectively craft a sales pitch in a tweet consisting of less than 140 characters. Let me give it a try: "Introducing the most debonair and romantic legal mind in the Big Apple." Seventy-one characters, so I have some room to add more. Tweets are difficult for me.
OMN: If you could travel anywhere in the world to research the setting for a book, where would it be?
RJB: I'd like to travel to Washington, DC with the super-power of being invincible. I'd tag along side of the President, the chief Supreme Court justice, and the Speaker of the House. I want a clear view of the complexities of those posts, so that I could craft fictional tales for readers to better understand the methods behind these profound positions in American government. I truly believe in a better, smarter, America, and while my TV stays locked on CNN, many readers do not digest politics and legal propositions that effect them through political news channels, but they do through books and movies.
OMN: Suppose First Kill Wonder were to be adapted for television or film. Who do you see playing the lead role?
RJB: I've given this some thought, but have never narrowed down one character, especially, since my outward characteristics are based off of a real person, while most inner qualities are of my own imagination. I will say that if my favorite movie director, Ron Howard, went down the path of putting a pistol to my head while demanding that I select a lead for him to direct, I'd chose Michael B. Jordan. His age and acting acuity demonstrates the range needed to portray, Naim Butler. Jordan could effectively show Naim starting from the bottom (as he did in Fruitvale Station), parade eloquently around New York City investigating a crime, and kick someone's butt (as he did in Creed).
OMN: What kinds of books do you read for pleasure?
RJB: I read mystery/suspense/thriller, but especially, legal thrillers. I am now reading a lot of biographies of America's greatest inventors (e.g. Starbucks, Apple). My favorite mystery series is Sue Grafton's alphabet series and James Patterson's Cross series. Cross inspired Naim in a few ways, only Naim faced a more horrific upbringing before the Ivy League education and being partner at a huge New York law firm. Cross and Naim work on opposite sides of the criminal justice realm, but they both seek justice, and understand the role of forgiveness and compassion in dishing out punishment for crimes. I had the opportunity to chat with Walter Mosley at a Mystery Writers of America dinner, and I asked if I had to make my protagonist a white male/female to succeed and broaden my reach. He emphatically told me, "No, I don't do that and I never would. All of my heroes are black." It dawned on me then why the Cross series was such a popular series. Patterson writes for lovers and fans of the mystery genre, and readers select books based off of the plot and characterization, not the race of the protagonist. I write with the same purpose, simply put, to satisfy readers of my favorite genre.
OMN: What's next for you?
RJB: I have paid the fee to re-enroll in the UCLA film/TV certificate program, because I dropped out of the program in 2006. My plan is to leave Philadelphia for LA early 2017, but my admission is open until 2019, so who knows. I sincerely want to return to Hollywood and set the foundation in film school to adapt my novels into feature films. Of course, directed by Ron Howard, and the lead character, Michael B. Jordan. The next novel in the Naim Butler series, tentatively titled, Second Murder or Mistake will release spring 2017, and is set in Washington, DC. The cover is done and I am anxious to show the world, so I am sure I will be back here with a cover reveal.
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R. Jerome Brooks grew up in Philadelphia before trekking to Los Angeles to study film/TV at UCLA. Finding it difficult to break into Hollywood, he adapted his screen play into his first novel and later pursued an English degree at Harvard University and making writing a full-time job. He lives in Philadelphia with a Manx.
For more information about the author, please visit his author page on Goodreads.
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First Kill Wonder by R. Jerome Brooks
A Naim Butler Romance Suspense
Publisher: Prodigy Gold Books
Naim Butler, a rainmaker, has perfected the art of sentencing mitigation, as a partner with Manhattan power-firm, Baker and Keefe. He's the kind of captivating and accomplished man that therapists vent to. His bachelorhood is turned upside down when an old flame, Sinia Love, drops a seventeen-year-old son into his lap forcing him to balance this revelation and his budding romance with Brandy Scott.
Professionally, Naim's assigned to prove a man's innocence of murder is filthy work itself, but catastrophic when an envious lover of Sinia Love's sets out to kill him while hiding amongst the glitterati of Manhattan's upper crust.
— First Kill Wonder by R. Jerome Brooks
